Man convicted of raping, murdering Ja’Naya Thompson again denied appeal

The state Supreme Court has denied a second post-conviction relief to a Gulfport man convicted in the rape and murder of a 5-year-old girl in 2014.

Alberto Garcia was sentenced to death in 2017 after confessing to raping and hanging to death 5-year-old Ja’Naya Thompson.

The child was reported missing after disappearing outside her family’s apartment. She was found dead a day later in an abandoned trailer.

Judge Lisa Dodson sentenced Garcia to death. He appealed and the decision was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2020.

He then asked for post-conviction relief, citing ineffective counsel at sentencing for failing to pursue fetal alcohol syndrome disorder as a mitigating factor. The Supreme Court in February denied his request, saying there was no evidence of ineffective counsel at sentencing.

Garcia again asked for post-conviction relief, saying his counsel and his doctor should have known he had autism, which would have made him incompetent to enter a guilty plea.

Citing some of the previous conclusions regarding counsel and whether Garcia was competent, the Supreme Court agreed with a lower court that denied his post-conviction relief to set aside his guilty plea.